captinjohn

I wonder if anyone has tried melting aluminum to make small parts or castings that would require only a little machining? Here is a link if it works. Thanks Capt,n http://homepage.ntlworld.com/v.ford/furnace.htm

cdale03

I work for an aluminum manufacturer, I have access to unlimited suppy of molten metal--bad thing wrong alloy and not heat treated.
Alloy could be controlled by what you place in it. but almost impossible for the individual to heat-treat and obtain the correct properties that u are used to in the 60 series alloys.

Pure untreated alloys are heavy and very weak...por machineability.

pe reivers

I worked in a foundry at one time of my life, and later built a melting oven model with my toolmaker's student class so we could cast our own crankcases.
For aluminum we used power fan blades we scrounged in a foundry nearby. This proved to be excellent material, and gave superb die castings.
For a melting pot we used grafhite material as used in die spark eroding. (steel dissolves in molten aluminum and spoils it)

captinjohn

Keep the imformation coming...this is interesting. Hummm ... a crankcase for a twin!!!! Capt,n

Ralphbf

My Feedback: (27)

How about old echo cases?

Would these make a good material to remelt and pour a new case pot of?

Grafphite material for the melting pot? Where could one find this?

pe reivers

Old engine cases might be fine if not oxidised too heavily. The more contaminated the aluminum is, the less suited.

Graphite? Look for large toolshops that have cavity eroding capabilities. The material they use for eroding electrodes is excellent. I was not able to even mar it with an oxygen cutting torch!

flaminheli

It could be a nice learning experiance, but it seems that developing a one off crankcase would be less time consuming milling it from solid aluminum. I guess it would be useful if used in production runs.

captinjohn

The main Idea I had was to be able to cast small parts close to size and then Finnish machine them. Pistons, Heads, Intake manifold (the one with 90 degree turn) adapters for carbs, and a lot of other small aluminum parts that are cast. I read that car pistons and full size Diesel pistons have good aluminum in them to melt down. Regards Capt,n

pe reivers

That's right. The high silicon content makes it flow into the smallest corners. Now to make that mold.
Small parts can be presses in ink fish backbone (available in pet shops) for casting.

cdale03

You can also create you parts from foam, place in s sand mold, as you pour the aluminiun is melts the foam and fills the cavity.

Caution Keep all water away from you melting furnace, and preheat eery thing you place into the molten bath, alu. will explode and pop with exposed to water vapor.

TFF

Here is another site
http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/
I would like to do the same thing as I want to make a small 4 cylinder and a small radial that would be powerful enough to fly a plane 60-90 size. I would go to the auto junk yard and get cylinder heads. Everything has an aluminum head now days. Pistons would be a good choice for piston material. Although not a casting material, car axles for chrankshafts, and camshafts for piston rings.

Tom

captinjohn

Pe Reivers....can you explain the way this fish thing is done? Sounds interesting. Thanks Capt,n

pe reivers

You probably know the white elliptical squid back bones? Made of kind of grainy chalk?
take 2, and rub them together so they have matching surfaces. Press the small part in between, then put in toothpicks to locate them.
Take apart, form the metal cast channel, and fit together again. Secure with wire, and do your casting thing. The surface will not be as smooth as a good sand casting, but hey, who cares! It still has that certain extra of a thing well made. The metal will flow very well, because the heat absorption is very small, and there are numerous pores to let the air escape.